Get Flash Player The artist Andy Warhol once said that everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. Tragically, for 2-year-old Wang Yue, her 15 minutes of fame came a year ago on Oct 13 in Foshan, Guangdong province. On that day she was the victim of not one but two hit-and-run drivers. In the richest of China's provinces she was finally pulled out of the road by a trash collector after she was ignored by 18 people. Millions of people, not just in China but in other countries as well, wondered what had become of compassion and our willingness to help others in need. As a lawyer, I strongly believe that legislation would make a huge difference in changing people's behavior. I believe that China should enact a good Samaritan law to protect aid-givers from liability in similar situations. Such a law should have three key elements: Protecting the people who come to the aid of others, punishing those loathsome people who fake injury for monetary gain at the expense of those coming to their aid, and last, and in this case least, rewarding those who step in to help those in need. China's Ministry of Public Security has been considering proposing such legislation, but they seem to be hung up on the last point: Defining exactly what makes a hero and how they should be compensated. Some places in China already award people monetarily for heroic actions but the requirements and rewards vary widely. However, I think the rewards are the least important element. |